Alaggoth
The chief alaghi god, Alaggoth is neutral aligned. His titles include The Great Furred One and The Shaggy Lord. His realm is known as Alaggoth's Forest on the Concordant Domain of the Outlands. Alaggoth is the patron deity of the alaghi, and to a lesser extent the quaggoth, the yeti, and other furred humanoids. Long ago, these closely related races worshiped a larger pantheon, of which Alaggoth was the head. One branch moved to the forests and became alaghi, another branch moved underground and became quaggoth, and the final branch moved to the tundra and mountains and became yeti. In the past few millennia, as the quaggoth and yeti civilizations collapsed and those races reverted to barbarism, the pantheon slowly deteriorated; the various lesser, and now forgotten, members saw their power fade and eventually disappear altogether. Now they all have died and passed on to the Astral Plane with the sole exception of Alaggoth. Once an intermediate power himself, his power too has dwindled, and now he even barely maintains his status as a lesser god. He is bolstered mainly by the worship of his alaghi followers; many of the quaggoth have forgotten him and have turned towards the worship of other goblinoid deities, while virtually all the yeti have forsaken him for Cryonax, the Prince of the Para-Elemental Plane of Ice. Although he would seemingly be a power on the decline, Alaggoth has however in recent centuries stabilized his base of worshipers. The alaghi, few as they are, have never wavered in their faith, and the remaining population of quaggoth worshipers has remained relatively stable in the last few centuries. The Great Furred One mourns the loss of his other worshipers among the quaggoth and yeti, but was helpless to prevent their slide into barbarism and their subsequent apostasy. He therefore cherishes both his ever-faithful alaghi and the few remaining followers of the other two races, ensuring their continued worship and preserving his status as a lesser power. The Great Furred One is mainly a nature deity, greatly concerned with the Balance and the alaghi's place in it. He encourages his followers to live alongside the natural world and to defend the home forests against those who would despoil it. Unlike many nature deities, however, he has no dominion over agriculture as the races he watches over rarely, if ever, raise crops or practice animal husbandry. He also retains some dominion over the wild of the Underdark, a remnant of the time he had a myriad quaggoth worshipers, maintained to this day due to the few shamans who remain faithful to him. Alaggoth had good relations with the other members of his old pantheon, but they have long been only lifeless husks floating in the Astral Plane. He has always been on good terms with the various other nature deities such as Baervan Wildwanderer, Emmantiensien, and Rillifane Rallathil, as well as Meriadar, who, as the only other non-evil goblinoid power, is a natural ally. Conversely, the Shaggy Lord has very poor relations with the deities of the orc, goblin, and bugbear pantheons, all of whom have snatched quaggoth worshipers from him. Similarly, Alaggoth is also on poor terms with Auril and Cryonax, who have in an analogous manner pirated the worship of the yeti. Alaggoth appears as a huge bipedal humanoid covered in white or slightly tan fur. He is very muscular, to the point of being barrel-chested, and possesses clawed hands and feet. His mouth is filled with sharp teeth, including two long canines. His emerald eyes usually twinkle with intelligence and kindness, although when his wrath is aroused, they glow an angry green. In combat, he most often wields a stone axe and casts druid spells. The Great Furred One will often make his pleasure or disfavor known to his followers through various signs. These are often subtle, such as inexplicable movements by trees or other plants, strange movements by forest or Underdark creatures, or whistles and grunts distantly heard on a breeze. Especially favored followers may have their eyes temporarily glow green or even have their fur turn totally, spotlessly white. Periodically he will grant an extra boon to such favorites, such as extended darkvision, the use of minor magics such as entangle or faerie fire, or even increased stealth abilities. His displeasure is often shown by fur being changed to a drab brown or even some bright color like pink, temporarily or permanently ruining any chance at camouflage, especially by the rare yeti followers. Alaggoth is served by brownies, dryads, pixies, sprites, treants, and other woodland creatures. He shows his pleasure through vigorous displays of nature such as bracing thunderstorms or colorful sunsets as well as by the discovery of hyaline, chalcedony, moonstones, moonbars, and pearls. His displeasure is shown by falling trees or rocks and aggressive behavior by animals. Specifics Classification: Deity Chief God of the Alaghi Domains: Plant, Animal, Protection Portfolio: Alaghi, Quaggoth, Yetis, and Furred Humanoids Homeplane: Concordant Domain of the Outlands Alignment: Neutral Alaggoth (The Great Furred One, The Shaggy Lord) Lesser Power of the Outlands, N Portfolio: Alaghi, quaggoth, furred humanoids Aliases: None Domain Name: Outlands/Alaggoth's Forest Superior: None Allies: Meriadar, Silvanus, Chauntea, the Seldarine, the alaghi and quaggoth pantheon (dead) Foes: The orc pantheon, the goblin and hobgoblin pantheon, the bugbear pantheon, Auril, Cryonax Symbol: A heavily furred arm Wor. Align.: NG, LN, N, CN, NE Alaggoth (AL-a-goth) is the patron deity of the alaghi, and to a lesser extent the quaggoth, the yeti, and other furred humanoids. Long ago, these closely related races (one branch moved to the forests and became alaghi, another branch moved underground and became quaggoth, and the final branch moved to the tundra and mountains and became yeti) worshiped a larger pantheon, of which Alaggoth was the head, but in the past few millennia, as the quaggoth and yeti civilizations collapsed and those races reverted to barbarism, the pantheon slowly deteriorated; the various lesser, and now forgotten, members saw their power fade and eventually disappear altogether. Now they all have died and passed on to the Astral Plane with the sole exception of Alaggoth. Once an intermediate power himself, his power too has dwindled, and now he even barely maintains his status as a lesser god. He is bolstered mainly by the worship of his alaghi followers; many of the quaggoth have forgotten him and have turned towards the worship of other goblinoid deities, while virtually all the yeti have forsaken him for Auril and Cryonax, the Prince of the Paraelemental Plane of Ice. Although he would seemingly be a power on the decline, Alaggoth has however in recent centuries stabilized his base of worshipers. The alaghi, few as they are, have never wavered in their faith, and the remaining population of quaggoth worshipers has remained relatively stable in the last few centuries. The Great Furred One mourns the loss of his other worshipers among the quaggoth and yeti, but was helpless to prevent their slide into barbarism and their subsequent apostasy. He therefore cherishes both his ever-faithful alaghi and the few remaining followers of the other two races, ensuring their continued worship and preserving his status as a lesser power. The Great Furred One is mainly a nature deity, greatly concerned with the Balance and the alaghi's place in it. He encourages his followers to live alongside the natural world (although, since is their natural disposition anyway, they need little encouragement), and to defend the home forests against those who would despoil it. Unlike many nature deities, however, he has no dominion over agriculture as the races he watches over rarely, if ever, raise crops or practice animal husbandry. He also retains some dominion over the wild of the Underdark, a remnant of the time he had a myriad quaggoth worshipers, maintained to this day due to the few shamans who remain faithful to him. Alaggoth had good relations with the other members of his old pantheon, but they have long been only lifeless husks floating in the Astral Plane. He has always been on good terms with Silvanus and Chauntea, and to a lesser extent the various other nature deities, as well as Meriadar, who, as the only other non-evil goblinoid power, is a natural ally. Conversely, the Shaggy Lord has very poor relations with the deities of the orc, goblin, and bugbear pantheons, all of whom have snatched quaggoth worshipers from him. Similarly, as stated above, Alaggoth is also on poor terms with Auril and Cryonax, who have in an analogous manner pirated the worship of the yeti. Alaggoth's Avatar (Ranger 30, Druid 25) Alaggoth appears as a huge bipedal humanoid covered in white or slightly tan fur. He is very muscular, to the point of barrel-chestedness, and possesses clawed hands and feet. His mouth is filled with sharp teeth, including two long canines. His emerald eyes usually twinkle with intelligence and kindness, although when his wrath is aroused, they glow an angry green. In combat, he most often wields a stone axe and casts spells from the same schools as druids. AC -2; MV 12; HP 207; THAC0 -9; #ATT 2/1 Dmg 1d8 + 14 (stone axe +3, +11 STR) MR 45%, SZ L (8 feet tall) STR 23, DEX 19, CON 22, INT 18, WIS 20, CHA 17 Spells: P 12/12/11/11/9/8/4 Saves: PPDM: 2, RSW: 5, PP: 4, BW: 4, Sp: 6 Special Att./Def.: When engaged in combat, Alaggoth wields Bone Clever, his stone axe +3 which possesses the additional power of slowing any opponent successfully struck for 2d6 rounds if a saving throw versus spells is not made. If disarmed, or if he should decide to forgo the use of his axe, the Great Furred One can attack with his claws, each claw once per round, for 1d3+11 points of damage. If both claws successfully hit the same target in the same round, the victim will be pinned under the avatar's arms and subject to a crushing bear hug attack which automatically does 1d8+11 points of damage per round until the victim makes a successful bend bars/lift gates role. Alaggoth can also cast entangle three times per day and can summon a 16 HD elemental of his choice once per day. Alaggoth has a 99% chance to both hide in shadows and move silently in non-urban locations. He is totally immune to damage from cold-based and poison attacks as well as attacks from weapons of +2 enchantment or less, and possesses infravision out to 120 feet. The Shaggy Lord sends to his avatar to Toril on a semi-regular basis. He is deeply involved with his remaining followers, both alaghi and quaggoth, and makes sure that they know that he watches over and protects them as much as he can. He will send his avatar if an alaghi settlement is threatened with distruction, or if quaggoth faithful to him are in immanent peril (especially by non-faithful quaggoth; Alaggoth will use his avatar to attempt to convert them back to their forefathers' ways if possible). Other Manifestations: Even when he is unable or unwilling to send his avatar, the Great Furred One will often make his pleasure or disfavor known to his followers through various signs. These are often subtle, such as inexplicable movements by trees or other plants, strange movements by forest or Underdark creatures, or whistles and grunts distantly heard on a breeze. Especially favored followers may have their eyes temporarily glow green or even have their fur turn totally, spotlessly white. Periodically he will grant an extra boon to such favorites, such as extended infravision, the use of minor magics such as entangle or faerie fire, or even increased stealth abilities. His displeasure is often shown by fur being changed to a drab brown or even some bright color like pink, temporarily or permanently ruining any chance at camouflage (especially by the rare yeti followers). Alaggoth is served by brownies, dryads, pixies, sprites, treants, and other woodland creatures. He shows his pleasure through vigorous displays of nature such as bracing thunderstorms or colorful sunsets as well as by the discovery of hyaline, chalcedony, moonstones, moonbars, and pearls. His displeasure is shown by falling trees or rocks and aggressive behavior by animals. The Church Clergy: Druids, rangers, shamans Clergy's Align.: NG, LN, N, CN, NE Turn Undead: D: No, R: No, Sha: No Cmnd. Undead: D: No, R: No, Sha: No All druids and shamans of Alaggoth receive religion (alaghi and quaggoth) as a bonus non- weapon proficiency. Depending upon the race in question, the clergy of the Shaggy Lord ranges from common to very rare. Among the quaggoth and yeti, only a very few shamans remain to chant the praises of the Great Furred One; they are especially rare among the latter race. Among the alaghi, however, the peaceful druids of Alaggoth are endemic, and powerful members of the clergy are often the informal leaders of their respective tribes. Moreover, many warrior alaghi have also pledged themselves to the Great Furred One's service, making up the ranger branch of the faith. Finally, a few exceptional alaghi druids have chosen to eschew contact with their fellows, preferring instead to take up a life of contemplating nature as one of the legendary alaghi hermits. The alaghi druids are greatly beloved and admired by most of the other members of their race. As stated above, they often make up what passes for the government of the alaghi; gathering together at semi-regular intervals and at times of emergency to coordinate both tribal and possible intertribal strategies. Some, together with the rangers, make up the informal military of many alaghi tribes. At all times, however, the druids care for nature and provide spiritual guidance for their tribes. Life for the shamans is quite different. With the exception of the most isolated tribes, most quaggoth worship other powers, such as the orc and goblin gods, and therefore those who have remained faithful to the old religion are often persecuted. In some cases, moreover, the shamans of the Shaggy One are among those quagoths enslaved by orcs, drow, or other Underdark races; these go among the oppressed, doing their best to give them hope for a better life and teaching them to patiently accept their fate until such time they are freed or, slightly more likely, free themselves. The tiny number of yeti shamans are slightly better off, as many fewer yeti have been enslaved; but still they are often persecuted by the vast majority of their comrades who worship Auril or Cryonax instead of their former patron deity. The druidic branch of the faith possesses a hierarchy similar to that of other nature religions; the alaghi have archdruids, great druids, and so on, with similar titles using an alaghi word "gurburn" in the place of the word druid. The shamans, on the other hand, are, as said before, very rare and therefore tend to be isolated from each other; as a result, there is virtually no organization among the quaggoth and yeti clergy. Titles for members of this branch of the faith are completely random, with each isolated shaman taking an individual and usually unique title. The church of Alaggoth is made up of alaghi (90%), quaggoth (9%), and yeti (1%). Most of the clergy are druids (60%) and rangers (25%), virtually all of whom are alaghi, while the remainder (15%) are shamans (most quaggoth, but a few are alaghi and yeti). The clergy is pretty evenly divided between males and females (60% and 40% respectively), although the numbers are less equitable among the shamans, quaggoth, and yeti, where males tend to dominate. Relations between the various branches are usually excellent, although the shamans and the druids rarely, if ever, meet. Dogma: Defend nature and the tribe. Always protect the quaggoth and yeti members of the faith and do one's best to spread the teachings of Alaggoth among the lost members of those races. Just because we are covered with fur doesn't mean were are uncouth barbarians; remind humans and their follicly-challenged kin that hairy doesn't equal stupid. Day-to-Day Activities: Yet again, the everyday activities of the faithful is determined by what branch a member belongs to. The alaghi druids spend their time patrolling the tribal lands, protecting both the forest and the tribe. Others are the leaders of the tribe, and still others simply retreat to a favored grove or cave to contemplate the awesome beauty of nature. The quaggoth and yeti shamans, on the other hand, lead less idyllic lives, doing their best to spread the teachings of their faith to their apostate brethren, usually in the face of abuse and outright oppression. Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Like many faiths focused on nature, the church of Alaggoth observes the four days which denote the passing of the seasons: the equinoxes and the solstices. Although these dates are especially celebrated by the druidic branch of the faith, the shamans also tend to do so as well, even though in the case of those quaggoths who have never been above ground, the true nature of these holy days has long been forgotten. Major Centers of Worship: Deep in the Chondalwood, around 100 miles north of Torsch, the Great Druid of Alaggoth's faith and his circle of alaghi faithful tend the Grove of the Great Furred One. Here, the crude huts of the druids surround an impressive stone circle where the Great Druid leads the faithful, as well as other members of his tribe, in the holy rites of the faith. Priestly Vestments: When venerating the Shaggy Lord, both the druids and shamans of the faith tend to dust their fur with whitening agents. Other than this, however, there is no special clothing worn by the faithful. Adventuring Garb: At all other times, the faithful of the Great Furred One wear or use little more than typical members of their races. Specialty Priests (Druids) Requirements: Wisdom 12, Charisma 15 Prime Req.: Wisdom, Charisma Alignment: N Weapons: Club, sickle, dart, spear, dagger, scimitar, sling, staff Armor: Padded, leather, or hide and wooden, bone, shell, or other nonmetallic shield Major Spheres: All, animal, elemental, healing, plant, sun, weather Minor Spheres: Divination, travelers Magical Items: As druid Req. Profs: Herbalism Bonus Profs.: Modern languages (pick two from: brownie, centaur, dryad, elvish, gnome, korred, nixie, pixie, satyr, sprite, treant, unicorn). The specialty priests of Alaggoth are druids. Their abilities and restrictions, aside from the changes noted above and later in this section are detailed in full in the Player's Handbook *Druids of Alaggoth must be alaghi, quaggoth, or yeti, although there are very few of the latter two. *Druids of Alaggoth may not mutliclass Category:Lesser deities